Retail Today with Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor

I was in NYC this past weekend and observed in many of the stores with "help wanted" signs on their doors - employees stuck in their phones and leaning. Unless and until you see what I see, customers will leave without purchasing. No matter how few employees you have. 

One of the most important ways to gain trust with a customer is to look them in the eyes and say the right greeting. But if you've never been trained, you probably just say, "Can I help you?" or "How are you today?" Both of those are bad. Say this instead.

Everytime someone walks into your store they are ready to buy. Browsers are online, buyers come into physical stores. Use this tip to grow your sales 10%.

Big news at the Long Beach port this morning which could save Christmas. Have a listen.

Do you thank your customers? At the time of purchase, of course. But your follow-up with a handwritten thank you can go a long way to cementing you as their store of choice. Here's another way to use thank yous to grow your sales. 

A shopper whose hands are full is a shopper who can't buy any more. Use today's tip to help them keep shopping. 

So many associates avoid the more expensive items because they either can't afford it or personally don't like it. Use today's tip for both managers and associates to be able to sell your premium items.

So many times we think we have to make a big sale. You might get bonus or commission or you might just have self-satisfaction at a job well-done. But that is a lot of pressure. Use today's tip to get in the game of making the sale. 

A mindset is how you approach working with people. You either believe it is worth your time or not. And customers and other associates can feel that as well.

A lot has been said about the Great Retail Resignation but often that is from people expecting a job to be different. To get more from your job as a manager or associate, you have to be curious about other people. Why do they react one way to me and not another. Try this tip about posture and see how changing your own posture with customers gets them to open up more to you. For more information ab...

So many retailers are understaffed that you may feel you have to just "get through" dealing with customers. That's going to cost you big - especially the more expensive the items you sell. Use this retail sales training tip to boost sales and trust.

As Covid retreats, it is important to look at messages you might have had to place on your website, may no longer be necessary or drawing customers.  If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting  retaildoc.com  or send a message to  bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks for listening!

Holiday retail spending is projected to be 1.5% higher than 2019, a remarkable statistic given the utter chaos our world is still facing due to after effects of COVID-19. In this episode of Retail Today with Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor, you will see three key steps every retailer must take to make the most of this holiday season. Recorded LIVE November of 2020 these tips can still be used in 202...

Hey everybody. It's Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doc. Thanks for joining me this afternoon. You know, the big news was that the election is over and now, what for retail? I've been answering that question all day and I thought I would quickly share some of my thoughts with you, because particularly in the U.S. we have had an awful lot of interest from both sides and the news media, trying to get us to g...

Amazon acquired Whole Foods several years ago and many felt they would add their technology and transform Whole Foods into the grocery store of the future. The reality is a different story as they open their Amazon fresh stores. What does that portend for grocery and shopping in-store? --- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to b...

GAP made news this week closing up to 80% of their mall stores. Meanwhile Levi's is opening 100. What's the difference and what clues should other retailers take from the comparison? Join me for this episode of Retail Today with Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor. --- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks f...

--- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks for listening!

--- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks for listening!

--- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks for listening!

--- If you love what you heard on Retail Today, connect with Bob by visiting retaildoc.com or send a message to bob@retaildoc.com . Thanks for listening!

Now that you have more time than you might have liked, take the time to research your top 10 or 20 customers on their LinkedIn or Facebook profiles and see what charities they support, or in their social posts, and then send a note or a video thank you for their business. Then, add a line, "I was looking online and you know what I discovered about you? You like..." and then fill in whatever that i...

Staying connected is really tough at this time in our retail lives. So what I want you think about today is if you have employees you’re paying to stay home right now don't forget that you should still be checking in with him every day. Make it a schedule and expect them to be on Zoom on time, dressed, and ready for work. If they are not being paid but they’re home, maybe you’ve laid them off, don...

A lot of your customers are sitting in front of their computers a lot more these days so a great way to reach them is to email. If you don't have a regular monthly newsletter or you haven't communicated, now is a perfect time to start. If you have a monthly newsletter, I encourage you to make that a weekly newsletter. Start off with a compelling subject line like “What to Do When You're Working fr...